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California police investigating several recent cases
A series of armed robberies targeting Trader Joe's locations in Southern California has police suspecting serial assailants. At least seven armed robberies have occurred at Trader Joe's stores in the region in recent months, including four in Los Angeles, per the Los Angeles Times
. Stores in Long Beach,...


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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Aldi has announced plans to close its store on West Third Street in the Westown Shopping Center.
There’s no word yet on when the store will close. Some shoppers told 2 NEWS they may now have to go outside of town for their groceries.
“It’s a shame that it’s closing,” said Ron Swiatek, who shops at Aldi. “There’s no other decent grocery stores in the immediate area.”
Swiatek said he may soon need to go to Trotwood to get groceries. He and others we spoke with said they are worried about the people who cannot get outside the neighborhood as easily.
“Being that I got a car, it isn’t really that hard,” said Kerfinal Winston, another Aldi shopper. “But it’s going to be hard on a lot of people in this area that don’t have cars.”
Aldi said the company takes the decision to close a store “very seriously,” explaining in a statement: “We’re committed to continued growth in the coming years. Investing in employees in the Dayton area, the state of Ohio and across the country will remain a top priority.”
But Mayor Nan Whaley said she believes Aldi isn’t serving the community with this decision.
“The service it provides is really important, and for them to say that they don’t want to serve the citizens of Dayton in this manner I think is pretty offensive,” Whaley said.
Whaley said she wishes Aldi had started conversations with the city before making a decision to leave the location.
“If you were having concern with the amount of people coming in, you should have called us a few years ago and said, ‘Hey, we’re really discussing this lease. We want to talk to the city about ways that we can partner,'” she said.
The city is working with Westown Shopping Center to find another grocer to move in, Whaley said. Shoppers we spoke with said they wish Aldi would change its mind or hope the neighborhood isn’t without a supermarket for long.
“There’s a lot of elderly people in this area that don’t drive no more, don’t have cars,” Winston said. “So I guess that we’ll have to form some kind of support group to get those people to the grocery stores, too.”
In Aldi’s statement, the company invites shoppers of the West Dayton store to visit their other stores in West Carrollton, Englewood and Kettering. All employees at the West Third Street location are being transferred to other stores, according to the statement.
Aldi invites customers to provide feedback on this decision. To contact Aldi, click here.

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DriveHomeToday.co Continues to Offer Bad Credit Car Loan Help as the Rate of Overdue Auto Loans Continues to Drop
DriveHomeToday.co Offers Bad Credit Car Financing in Schaumburg, IL
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Over the past few years, getting approved for a car loan in Schaumburg, IL has been a daunting and difficult task. The rate that is considered an acceptable credit scores has gone up and banks have become more stringent with their lending. Through all of that, DriveHomeToday.co has been providing solutions with bad credit car financing in Schaumburg, IL. In the toughest of economic times, DriveHomeToday.co has been there for car shoppers, proving options and opportunities to rebuild credit with a new vehicle. Now, there is more great news for consumers looking for cars in Schaumburg, IL.
A recent report announced that the rate of overdue car loans in the U.S. has fallen last quarter (second quarter of 2012) and it is at its lowest rate in more than a decade. This is great news for lenders and consumers alike. It helps show lenders that car loan borrowers are now less likely to be delinquent on their payments which may in return help consumers to get loan approval in the future. It seems car owners are prioritizing their car loan debt higher and paying it off over other debts and expenses like credit cards. A car is an important investment and a necessity today because without a car it is near impossible to hold a job and steady income.
The rate looks at U.S. car loans which have payments at least 60 days past due. That rate for the second quarter of 2012 was down to 0.33% which is down 8% from the first quarter and down 25% from the second quarter of 2011.
Schaumburg car financing applications are available online at DriveHomeToday.co. For more information, the site also offers a blog. At this car financing blog auto shoppers can find answers to commonly asked credit score questions or credit score FAQs, term definitions, as well as car credit trends and news.
Media Contact: Kristen Iverson , DriveHomeToday.co, 1-888-821-8148, firstname.lastname@example.org
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Almost half (49 percent) of hoteliers worldwide have seen a rise in Russian guests in the last year, with 54 percent of those hoteliers seeing bookings grow by 10 percent or more. Moreover, three of the top 20 overseas destinations for Russian travelers are in the United States.
Russia is Experiencing a Travel Boom
SOLD OUT! JOIN OUR WAITING LIST! It's not a virtual event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a meeting, or a symposium. It's not about attracting a big crowd. It's not about making a profit, but rather about making a real difference. LEARN MORE HERE


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The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) will celebrate 39 businesses and organizations in the UAE for their outstanding achievements and efforts in pursuing quality and excellence at the 28th Business Excellence Awards ceremony.
The ceremony will be held virtually in the third week of March under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, and it will be led by Mr. Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of DET.
At the ceremony, 21 businesses from the retail, services, healthcare, hospitality, and e-commerce sectors will be honored under the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES), while 18 businesses from tourism, service-leading organizations, business associations, and industrial sectors are commemorated in the Dubai Quality Awards (DQA) series.
Shaikha Ahmad Al Bishri, Director of the Business Excellence Department at DET stated that “The 28th Business Excellence Awards are a testament to the resilience and adaptability of businesses in the UAE and the impact of the decisive measures adopted by the leadership to ensure business continuity in the face of a challenging global business landscape.”
The new edition of the awards saw an increase of more than 10 percent in applicants, while the overall increase over the last 28 years was more than 300 percent, which indicates the integration achieved among businesses and service organizations with the concept of quality and excellence.
In total, Business Excellence Awards have chosen more than 650 winners from 22,000 participants over the past 27 years. To date, more than 500 mystery shoppers, 3,000 evaluators and 5,000 applicants have been trained on a variety of topics of excellence as part of their 120,000 feedback report collection.
The Award plays an important role in enhancing excellence within the business community. Last year, more than 1,500 delegates were involved in various events, including training workshops, webinars, for assessors, mystical shoppers, and business community representatives, 12 percent more than the previous year.
Shaikha Al Bishri further added that “In spite of the pandemic, the government and the private sector have focused on excellence in technology, innovation and customer happiness, in Dubai and across the UAE. The best practices being recognized at this year’s Business Excellence Awards will be an indicator of the excellence knowledge and commitment to continuous improvement within the business community.”
Participants in DSES are honored in two main categories: the Best Branch and the Best Brand.
This year DQA winners are honored in six categories
- Gold Category
- Dubai Quality Award
- Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA)
- Dubai Quality Appreciation Award for Representative Entities
- Dubai Quality Global Award (DQGA)
- Dubai Smart Industry Award
The Dubai Quality Award encourages and motivates organizations to adopt an international framework, with best practices, to achieve excellence and be recognized as role models.


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Royal Mail workers to vote on strike over pay
More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers will begin voting on Tuesday over whether to go on strike over pay.
Ballot papers will be dispatched to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) members, with the result on 19 July.
If workers back action, the CWU says it could amount to the biggest ever strike by its members. Royal Mail says there are "no grounds" for strike action.
The CWU is the latest of several unions to ballot for strikes in recent weeks as the cost of living soars.
Prices are rising at their fastest pace for 40 years, with UK inflation at 9.1%, the highest rate since March 1982.
Higher costs for fuel, energy and good are biting into household budgets and workers and unions are pushing for pay rises to cope with them.
Britain's railways were disrupted when thousands of RMT Union members walked out last week and hundreds of British Airways workers at Heathrow Airport have also voted to go on strike over their wages.
Separately, 114 Post Offices are to be closed on 11 July when workers strike over pay.
FROM SCC NETWORK
- Gas prices soar as Russia cuts supply to Europe
- Council workers in Scotland vote for strike action
- Latest Network Rail strikes cut 90% of Scottish services
- Cost-of-living payments branded insufficient as energy bills soar
- ScotRail warns of major service cuts during UK-wide strikes
- IMF: UK set for slowest growth of G7 economies in 2023
- Scottish Enterprise launches digital tool to accelerate businesses towards net zero
- Britain’s ‘great unretirement’: cost of living drives older people back to work
- EXCLUSIVE: New collaboration to boost business and trade between Scotland and Turkey
- It’s time for more flex as agile working takes centre stage
- Perthshire hotel offers summer sessions with sporting professionals
- RIVER TAY SPORTS HUB LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
- Family-run Scottish hotels recognised with business accolade
- Half of small business owners forced to increase prices, report finds
- Sizewell C nuclear plant gets go-ahead from UK government
- ScotRail announces reintroduction of timetable
- UK inflation reaches new 40-year high of 9.4%
- CGI ecosystem partner search
- First direct China-Scotland container service launched
- Eurozone raises interest rates for first time in 11 years
- UK debt interest reaches record high as inflation soars
- Recovery Loan Scheme Extended
- Balhousie Care Group bolsters senior team with appointment of leading figure in health and social care
- Scottish Law Firm Supports Charity Aiding Vulnerable People Around the World


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DeKALB — During Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Ugg premiered a collaboration collection with Parisian fashion label Y/Project. Their latest designs featured taupe thigh-high Ugg boots and triple-layered boot renditions intended for consumers.
“I feel like if they were heeled, girls would wear them,” Dominique Sella, freshman fashion merchandising major, said. “This honestly hasn’t been the craziest thing I’ve seen down the runway, and I bet people think they are ugly now, but they will be wearing them later on.”
The boots resemble current trends, combining the slouch boot and thigh-high look. Y/Project’s Belgium creative director Glenn Martens expressed his vision by comparing Uggs to a warm pot of butter and explaining that the legs of the body need to be immersed in warmth during the winter season. Martens and Ugg then decided to design an Ugg boot that "climbs up to the crotch and covers the whole leg," according to a Jan. 18 Cosmopolitan article.
“I disagree with those boots,” senior fashion merchandising major Ariel Greene said. “I could never see anyone wearing those. They look like extra skin hanging from your thigh. I feel like this is meant for the everyday person to wear as well, so that is very crazy considering it’s not like a runway-only piece.”
All versions seen in the collection will be available for purchase during Fall 2018 and will retail from $270 to $1,380, according to a Jan. 17 New York Post article.


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- Talent Management
- 2 min read
Tata Motors regularizes services of over 100 staff
The Tata Motors, Jamshedpur plant, has made an agreement with the workers union to regularise 151 temporary workers on permanent rolls. The decision has been welcomed by the workers.
Tata Motors Workers’ Union (TMWU), which is the authorised union of the company, has hailed the decision of the company management. “Amid news reports of salary cuts, retrenchment in companies across the world, the latest regularisation of employees and wage revision agreement of ours has been outstanding,” said TMWU general secretary RK Singh.
The union leader said in the past two years the company has absorbed over 580 workers on permanent rolls. “Even during the Covid-19 period, the process of taking temporary workers on permanent rolls was in motion.”
The wage revision agreement, which was signed on Saturday, is for a period of four years, company sources said. The company workers would see hike of average Rs 18,000 in their monthly salary, as per the agreement. At present, there are over 9,200 employees working at the Jamshedpur plant, which includes 5,600 permanent and 3,600 temporary workers, respectively.
Apart from the regularising the service of the temporary workers, over 500 apprenticeship certificate holders and Tata Motors Skill Trainee (TMST) certificate holders promoted to temporary workers in the last 12 months, said the TMU leader. The skilled trainees are later employed on temporary basis before they are made permanent employees.
“The company, on an average, manufacture over 10,000 trucks per month. Automobile industry is a demand-driven sector. We hope it improves in the coming days,” said a senior official at the plant.
Former president of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Suresh Sonthalia said increased production at Tata Motors plant would means business opportunity for the ancillaries dependent on the company.
“Number of the ancillaries in Adityapur are dependent on Tata Motors Jamshedpur plant. If the demand improves in the market, it will boost ancillary industries too,” he said.


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With borders reopening and travel resuming, there has never been a better opportunity to arrange a trip to Europe. According to recent research from travel company “Hopper”, the average cost of a round-trip ticket between the United States and Europe has plummeted to its lowest level in five years: $565 round-trip.
Through airfare fares rose throughout the summer as Europe lifted restrictions on American passengers, they’ve dropped considerably as we’ve gone into the autumn. According to Hopper, this might be due to significant differences in how European countries handle international passengers, notably those from the United States.
While it was a bit of a free for during the summer, some nations are already restoring test restrictions and quarantines for American tourists as case numbers with new variations grow. Others, on the other hand, continue to welcome Americans with little constraints.
“Without a unified travel policy throughout the EU airlines may offer big reductions on rates as they combine their trans- Atlantic route planning with some of the excess seat capacity added back during the summer,” Adit Damodaran noted in Hopper’s research.
Despite increased travel uncertainty, American travellers are expected to take advantage of the offers. According to Hopper, “search traffic for flights to Europe are now up 14 % week over week, which is a significant rise given that demand for foreign travel normally drops throughout the fall shoulder season”.
Flight bookings to Europe using the business’s app are also up 33% week over week, according to the company.
If you are looking for the best deals on a last-minute fall trip to Europe, go no farther than Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Dublin – each destination has seen round-trip rates from the United States dipped below $500 in the last seven days.
According to Hopper “Reykjavik, Iceland ($505), Porto, Portugal ($506), Milan, Italy ($518), Helsinki, Finland ($518), Rome ($526), and Athens ($564) are other inexpensive options”.
Disney Announces Closure of Lavish and Immersive Star Wars Hotel Experience
Hotel Room Change Request Turns into Hotel Murder Inquiry in Lhasa, Tibet
Two Individuals Fatally Shot in the Vicinity of a Beach in the Resort City Acapulco, Mexico


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The Keene branch of a multi-state hardware chain has permanently shut its doors.
Aubuchon Hardware at 401 West St. closed Tuesday, according to Bernard Aubuchon, the company’s executive chairman and grandson of its founder, William Aubuchon.
“For the past 80 years, it has been our pleasure to serve the hardware needs of Keene and the surrounding communities,” read a notice taped to the storefront, where the windows were papered up.
The decision to shutter the store in the West Street Shopping Center came because it wasn’t seeing enough patronage, Bernard Aubuchon said.
“It’s not had enough business for a few years now,” he said.
The Keene location employed about 10 people, Bernard Aubuchon said. Some of them were offered positions at other Aubuchon Hardware stores. The company informed workers of the store’s closure Tuesday, he added.
According to the company’s website, Aubuchon Hardware is the country’s oldest family-owned and managed hardware store chain, and has more than 100 stores across New England and New York, including locally in Winchester and Walpole — both of which remain open. Aubuchon also had a location in Rindge, which closed about five years ago due to a lack of business, Bernard Aubuchon said.
The company was founded in 1908 in Fitchburg, Mass. The Keene store was on Roxbury Street for its entire 80-year history until moving to the West Street site, which formerly housed Fashion Bug, in 2012.
“We gave it a good try. We tried moving, but that didn’t help us much as we hoped it would,” Bernard Aubuchon said. “... It was once of our better stores, until the big boxes moved into Keene. They just took too much business away.”Molly Bolan can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Twitter @BolanMolly.


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Inditex announced this Thursday an agreement with Infinited Fiber Company, a Finnish technology firm focused on the textile sector, to buy more than 100 million euros of recycled textile fiber for three years, baptized as Infinna, and which is developed 100% from of textile waste.
As explained by Inditex, the purchase commitment will account for 30% of the future production of Infinited Fiber, which will open its first factory with industrial capacity in 2024. From then on, the Spanish giant will start buying fiber.
Inditex points out that this alliance is part of its innovation platform Sustainability Innovation Hub, from which it works with startups, academic institutions and technology centers to promote and scale innovative initiatives of new materials, technologies and processes. The objective is none other than to reduce the environmental footprint of fashion products and move towards sustainable and circular solutions.
Infinited Fiber Company has managed to develop a solution by which it manages to convert materials with a high composition of cellulose, such as worn garments, as well as cotton, into the registered fiber Infinna, which shows a touch and appearance similar to cotton, and which in turn can be recycled again. “Through this fiber, Inditex will be able to continue minimizing the use of virgin resources and continue moving towards a circular production model.” In parallel to the alliance, Zara has launched a capsule collection that incorporates this fiber, obtained from garments provided by Cáritas.
“We firmly believe that innovation is key to the competitive and circular future of the fashion industry. For this reason, we actively work to find new solutions based on new alliances, processes and materials that help us obtain new fibers from pre- and post-consumer textile waste,” says Javier Losada, director of sustainability at Inditex, in a press release.
Petri Alava, CEO and co-founder of Infinited Fiber Company, stated that “Inditex is one of the largest fashion distributors in the world and this agreement is a significant step towards realizing our ambition to make Infinn a major textile commodity in the future.” .


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In recent years, America’s big three car makers have announced all manner of expansions to ready themselves for the electric car revolution. Now, as they prepare to populate these new and upgraded factories with workers, the United Auto Workers are preparing for unionization battles over the plants, and they don’t sound easy.
A new report from Bloomberg outlined the challenges faced by UAW as it attempts to represent the 18,000 workers GM, Ford, and Stellantis plans to hire at its new EV plants, many of which are joint ventures with other companies. Uniting all those workers across different sites run by different companies is at the core of the challenge. Automotive News explains:
One of the plants that demonstrates the complexity involved in the EV battery facility talks is the Ultium Cells LLC plant in Lordstown, Ohio, a joint venture between GM and Korea’s LG Energy Solution Ltd. The UAW represents 1,100 workers there, but because they’re employed by the Ultium JV rather than GM directly, they aren’t covered by a master labor contract the group negotiated with GM, Ford and Stellantis four years ago.
While workers at the Ultium are organized and fighting for a contract, once agreed it won’t be applicable to workers at other EV facilities. Instead, UAW will have to run organizing drives and bargain locally at each site.
Meanwhile, Ford has plans for three sites with SK On and one with Chinese partner CATL in Michigan; Stellantis will open a new plant with Samsung SDI in 2025; and GM has three U.S. battery plants coming with Korean partners, so the UAW will have its work cut out for it.
That process isn’t one UAW hopes to get caught up in. Instead, it wants to get workers at the Ultium aligned with its master labor contract with GM. This could then set a precedent to align other joint venture sites with contracts held by Ford and Stellantis as well.


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Business News›goods and service tax act
GOODS AND SERVICE TAX ACT
Just because it sounds innovative and fashionable, we can't rush headlong saying crypto is right, crypto is good: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The Digital India Act and a National Data Governance Framework Policy, along with a Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, will form the modern laws that guide India's trillion-dollar digital economy in the next five years, according to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of Information Technology. The laws aim to protect citizens' rights but not hinder innovation in the ecosystem. Additionally, Chandrasekhar clarified that India remains supportive of blockchain and crypto innovation, but the Reserve Bank of India views crypto as a macroeconomic risk, so it requires regulation.
TMC's decision to support GST Bill wrong, says CM Mamata Banerjee
Asserting that the Centre has been depriving West Bengal of its share of the Goods and Service Tax collected from the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the decision to support the passage of the GST Bill was wrong. Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said that she had supported the passing of the GST Bill thinking that it would benefit the states.
GST on transportation services - navigating through turbulent waters
This resulted in taxing the transportation of export cargo by the Indian transporters / freight forwarders, liable to Integrated GST (IGST). This created a lot of buzz amongst the exporters as well as the Indian transporters /freight forwarders. Consequently, owing to the hardships faced, various associations and trade bodies filed representations before the Government against such withdrawal of GST exemption.
How exporters are getting steamrolled by a six-decades-old law
The government is streamlining systems to make trade easier. But the Customs Act of 1962 has many loopholes and ambiguities that puts exporters and importers at a disadvantage.
GST enables registration of one person company
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has enabled the registration of One Person Company under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime on its portal. There was no option of One Person Company in form notified by Central GST or State GST Acts and that is the reason there was no such option available on the GSTN portal also.
GST 2.0: Is this the right time? And what kind of reforms do we need?
As the GST collection turns robust — an outcome of widening tax base and plugging of leakages — this is the right time to usher in the next phase of India’s most ambitious tax reform. So, what kind of reforms should be part of GST 2.0?
Delhi GST officers detect Rs 17 crore tax evasion by issue of fake invoice, arrests 2"Preliminary enquiry conducted so far into the transactions of these firms has revealed tax evasion of Rs 17 crore approx. The proprietor/director in his confessional statements has admitted his role in passing and availing fraudulent ITC without any underlying supply of goods," an official statement said.
Travel cos urge government to review move to raise TCS on overseas tour packages"We have sent a request to CBDT on March 8 asking them to reconsider this proposal. Besides tour operators, it's going to be a losing proposition for the government as people will take the other route and will book through overseas operators directly," said Riaz Munshi, president, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI).
A four-member GST appellate tribunal likely in each state to streamline dispute resolutionA four-member appellate tribunal is likely to be set up in each state in order to streamline and expedite the dispute resolution process with regard to Goods and Services Tax (GST), reported PTI citing official. Each state appellate tribunal would have two technical members (one officer each from the centre and states) and two judicial members.
AWS India to contest tax demand on cloud incomeThe department has contended that receipts from cloud computing services were in the nature of royalty and fee for technical services and were taxable in India.
Income Tax department issues Rs 549-crore tax demand notice to AWSThe tax department detected that AWS was charging a fee for providing cloud computing services to Indian entities but not paying tax on it, they said.
GST mop-up rises 12% to ₹1.5 lakh crore in FebGST collections were lower than ₹1.58 lakh crore recorded in the previous month, but remained above ₹1.40 lakh crore for the 12th month in a row.
Life insurance stocks good bets now: 5 stocks with up to 37% upside potentialThe budget proposals have increased the volatility in insurance stocks. However, the long-term fundamentals of the sector remain intact.
GST Council meet: Payment to states okayed, taxes cut on liquid jaggery, pencil sharpeners, tracking devicesFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that the GST Council has given its approval to clear Rs Rs 16,982 cr balance of GST compensation to states. Further, the GST on pencil sharpeners reduced to 12% from 18%.
GST Council meeting starts; key matters on agendaThe GST Council meeting started here on Saturday and is likely to discuss setting up of appellate tribunals, and mechanism to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha business, among other matters. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing the 49th meeting of the GST Council.
Rs 1.5 lakh crore monthly GST collection has become the new normal: CBIC chief Vivek JohriThe gross GST revenue collected in January 2023 was Rs 1,55,922 crore. This was for the third time, in the current financial year, GST collection has crossed Rs 1.50-lakh-crore mark. The GST collection in January 2023 is the second highest next only to the collection reported in April 2022.
Karnataka collected record GST of Rs 6,085 cr in January: CM Bommai"A record collection of 6,085 crore has been made under GST this month. Karnataka continues to be state with the highest growth rate of 30% in the GST tax collection," Bommai tweeted.
India will not merge GST tax rates in 2023/24, government official saysIndia will not overhaul its Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in the next fiscal year, a senior official said on Monday, delaying a move it has been considering for more than a year to simplify its tax structure and reduce the burden on consumers. In 2021, the government considered overhauling the tax by merging two of the tax rates, and lowering the levy on a host of items. Some have criticised the five-year old regime for having too many tiers.
System error: How automated notices under GST is leading to proliferation of disputes and litigationsThis has resulted in a significant spurt in the issue of show-cause notices on taxpayers without any intervention of the tax officers, but solely basis information available on the GSTN, automatically.
Input Tax Credit cannot be claimed on goods/services used for CSR activities: Budget 2023KPMG in India Partner, Indirect Tax, Abhishek Jain said the Finance Bill proposes to restrict input tax credit paid on goods and services used for CSR activities. "While this would be slightly disappointing for the industry, this change would clear the air on the issue which was ambiguous and was subject to contrary advance rulings," Jain said.
Taxman asks companies to reverse credit claimed on IPO expensesTax authorities have started issuing notices to these companies, asking them to reverse credit claimed on expenses for listing of the shares, people aware of the matter said. The authorities argue that listing of shares is equivalent to trading of securities, which is an exempted service as per the GST provisions, hence tax credit claimed by the companies should be reversed.
OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal hopes for the removal of 12% GST on hotel rooms in Budget 2023Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of OYO Hotels & Homes, anticipates that the 12% GST on hotel rooms costing less than Rs 1,000 should be eliminated in the Union Budget 2023–24.
BCCI invites bids for acquiring title sponsorship rights for Women's Premier LeagueThe detailed terms and conditions governing the tender process including eligibility requirements, a process for submissions of bids, rights and obligations of the title sponsor, etc. are contained in the 'Request for Proposal' (RFP) which will be made available on receipt of payment of a non-refundable fee of INR 1,00,000 (Indian Rupees One Lakh Only) plus any applicable Goods and Services Tax. The procedure to procure the RFP documents is enlisted in Annexure A to this notice. The RFP will be available for purchase till February 9, 2023
Cong to highlight unemployment, inflation and rich-poor gap during 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' campaign: Ajay MakenSenior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday said his party will undertake a nationwide 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' campaign to highlight prevailing issues like unemployment, inflation and the "widening gap" between the rich and the poor in the country.
Budget 2023: Insurers hope for tax concessions to underwrite industry's growthScrapping or slashing of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on insurance premiums, making pension/annuity proceeds tax-free, and creating a separate category for tax deduction for premium paid are some of the budget wishlist of Indian insurers.
Space industry seeks PLI scheme, tax incentivesThe space sector lobby body said PLI for the sector will promote research and development in India and provide incentives to entities engaged in the space sector. The ISpA also wants the government to provide financial support through loans, grants and tax incentives for companies and organisations in the space sector.
'Sops for RuPay, BHIM-UPI are subsidy, not taxable'The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Friday clarified that incentives paid by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to banks under the incentive scheme for promotion of RuPay Debit Cards and low value BHIM-UPI transactions are in the nature of subsidy and are not taxable.Load More
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After the success found in the launch of PUBG’s middle-eastern servers, and much clamouring from African players, PUBG Mobile is getting local servers.
PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds Mobile has turned out to be quite the smash hit. While I’m sure many were sceptical when it was first announced, considering the often maligned state of the game on PC, the mobile version turned out to be pretty good. Running comparatively better than its older brother, PUBG Mobile has found an audience of players who aren’t as tied to their computers as the average Battlegrounds player and has been able to challenge Fortnite Mobile for dominance in the portable battle royale genre. PUBG Mobile has received monthly updates that have patched the game and added new content but the next patch might be the biggest yet.
Publisher Tencent announced at the ongoing PUBG Mobile Club Open Finals that the next update for the mobile game would be Erangel 2.0, the updated and improved version of the original PUBG map, featuring a graphical overhaul and a shift in design, leading to more engaging matches for both players and spectators. PUBG Mobile is also partnering with The Walking Dead for some kind of zombie-themed mode that ties in with the ongoing drama series of the same name.
But easily the biggest announcement was the introduction of African servers, infrastructure that players have been begging for since the launch of the game in 2017. These servers will allow players in Africa to play the game with a much lower ping resulting in a smoother and more balanced experience as you they won’t have to wait 5 seconds for a hit to register on their opponent. While this is undoubtedly great news for African players of PUBG Mobile, there has been no announcement regarding African servers for the PC and console versions, despite numerous “petitions”. Yet if PUBG Mobile is getting African servers, then maybe an expansion of these to accommodate players on other platforms isn’t far off – but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The impending servers ties in nicely with the announcement of a PUBG mobile World League coming in 2020. With local Southern African servers, there’s a good chance we might actually be included.
Last Updated: July 29, 2019
July 29, 2019 at 11:57
If it’s anything like the Rocket League African servers then these people are in for a wild ride with the worlds most toxic minority of trashy gamers this side of Swaziland.


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It’s Tuesday, the best day of the week—at least, for the BOH news desk. In our weekly digest, find a roundup of need-to-know (and nice-to-know) news.
Mergers and ACQUISITIONS
Z Gallerie, which filed for bankruptcy in March, has been acquired by DirectBuy, a membership buying service based in Merrillville, Indiana, through a bankruptcy auction in June, reported Furniture Today. Backed by KKR Credit Advisors, DirectBuy paid $20.3 million for the Gardena, California–based headquarters and at least 32 of its stores.
LAUNCHES, COLLABORATIONS and PARTNERSHIPS
Fashion designer Jason Wu teamed up with Interior Define on a collection of exposed-wood-frame sofas, loveseats, chairs, chaise sectionals and ottomans. Though this is one of his first distinctive collections in home, Wu has long made quite a splash in the fashion world, catapulting to fame when First Lady Michelle Obama donned his gowns at both the 2009 and 2013 inaugural balls.
South African decor brand Egg Designs partnered with New York–based Ngala Trading Co. to introduce tables, chairs, lighting and a variety of decor to the U.S. market. Details of the collection include scalloped leather, etched and hammered metals, and animal and floral motifs. Ngala Trading Co. brings African home furnishings to the North American market; its e-commerce partner sites include Perigold and One Kings Lane (on which Egg Designs will become available come August).
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation has purchased a permanent home for its growing archives and events; the 17,500-square-foot building is located at 311 South Hamilton Street in High Point, North Carolina, a block away from the International Home Furnishings Center. “As a $110 billion industry, we have helped people around the world create their own warm and personal homes,” says David Gebhart, president, in a statement. “Now, we have the opportunity to create a home of our own.” Last year the foundation brought on a curator and historian; the new building is the next step in its plan to preserve and expand its collections.
New York–based furniture brand Poppin debuted its first sub-brand, PoppinPod, to create private spaces in open offices. Meant to be a more reasonably priced acoustical pod, the PoppinPod is available in black and white, with noise absorption of up to about 35 decibels.
Newport Beach, California–based interior designer Barclay Butera partnered with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty on a new venture that allows customers to use Butera’s services to stage their homes if they list through Sotheby’s. “This idea was a long-term dream for us,” says Steve Games, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty CEO and managing partner, in a statement. “Uniting our firms allows us to introduce new concepts and creativity into the home sales market, adding value to our customers and, at the same time, strengthening our brand and market share.”
OPENINGS, AUCTIONS AND EVENTS
Aspire Design and Home announced that it will host the first Aspire House McLean, a designer show house in McLean, Virginia, that will support the Cancer Support Community. With designer Mary Douglas Drysdale as design chair, the house will be built in partnership with Artisan Builders and Harrison Design. The 9,600-square-foot home is located at 952 Mackall Farms Lane and will be open from May to June 2020. “Local designers will be invited to shine beside national and international designers and sponsors,” Aspire publisher Steven Mandel tells BOH. “The goal is to gather a diverse assemblage of established and emergent talent from the Washington area and countrywide.” The design selection process will begin this summer; Drysdale will help make the initial selection and Aspire editor in chief Amy Sneider will make the final selects. (Those interested in applying can click here.)
Ellicott City Inc.’s 33rd Annual Decorator Show House has announced this year’s 20 participating interior designers and artists, including Quintece Hill-Mattauszek of Alexandria, Virginia-based Studio Q Design and Rhonald Angelo of Kensington, Maryland. Profits from the Maryland city’s showhouse will go toward the preservation and restoration of local properties. The space, located at 11645 Vixens Path, will be open from September 21 to October 20.
Rhode Island maker O&G Studio opened “Navigation” at Boston showroom and gallery Salon last week. Modern American furniture created by the studio is on display along with new paintings by artist Michel Droge of Portland, Maine, and sculptures by Long Beach, California–based artist Karen Gayle Tinney. The exhibit will be on view until August 26 at its location at 126 Charles Street.
UrbanGlass kicks off “Monica Cook: Above and Below” on July 24 at its Agnes Varis Art Center on 647 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. The exhibit comprises glass sculptures with mixed and found media, video and prints. Cook, a multimedia artist based in New York, was the 2018 UrbanGlass visiting artist fellow.
New York design editor Wendy Goodman covered the enthralling art stars of Entre Nous for The Cut the other day. Entre Nous, a networking “dinner series where nothing is off the table,” has propelled female artists of color to establish a community of art entrepreneurs and gallerists based in New York. Those who attended the most recent meeting at Ghetto Gastro were dashingly profiled by Goodman, including Courtney Willis Blair, director at Mitchell-Innes & Nash; Alia Williams, director at Jeffrey Deitch; Alexis Johnson, director at Lévy Gorvy; Ashley Stewart, director at Gagosian; and Kyla McMillan, director at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise.
Fast Company published four tips for supporting a co-worker who is transgender. “Trans people are co-workers just like anyone else, except we face more elevated degrees of discrimination and harassment,” wrote Lee Airton. “The advice I’ll share is aimed at people who may not be transgender themselves, but who either currently work or will work alongside a transgender colleague in some capacity.” Airton then goes on to cite the golden rules: to stand up for co-workers even in their absence, to be mindful of seemingly harmless curiosity and to be intentionally inclusive.
CUE THE APPLAUSE
Happy anniversary to Rifle Paper Co., which turns 10 this year.
Interior Design is now accepting entries for the 2019 Best of Year awards. Submissions close on September 20; public voting begins October 7. See a full list of categories here.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design named the 2020 class of the Loeb Fellowship: nine architects, artists and activists who will engage with public programming and other research initiatives to advance our culture and social equity. Among the selected students are Pedro Gadanho, director at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon, Portugal; Beth Miller, executive director of the Community Design Collaborative in Philadelphia; and Paloma Strelitz, co-founder and partner of design collective Assemble in London.
The Chicago Loop Alliance Foundation has announced Dean Lane, area general manager of the Hiltons of Chicago and the Palmer House, as its 2019 Illumination Award honoree. Lane is being recognized for his service to the Windy City and its hospitality and tourism community. The award will be presented at the annual Illumination Gala on September 20.


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(Filed Under Fashion News). Controversy has once again surrounded American Apparel’s CEO Dov Charney since news leaked about him weeding out homely employees. After the company’s sales dropped, Charney reportedly ordered store managers to send him group shots of their staff for his perusal. According to reports, he is subsequently encouraging them to fire anyone who is does not meet the brand’s aesthetic; which can only mean those scantily-clad, doe-eyed girls seen on just about every American Apparel billboard.
In other news, American Apparel has recently opened a 2,800-square-foot store in Toronto, Can. following the opening of it's first Irish store in Dublin at 4,000-square-feet. The stores carry American Apparel’s fashion-basics including underwear and leggings. For the Toronto store, the company has hired approximately 30 employees, and for the Dublin store it has hired approximately 20 employees and continues to hold open-calls.
Los Angeles-based American Apparel currently operates approximately 270 stores in 20 countries.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in comments published on bodymagazine.us are those of the comment writers alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of Bodymagazine or its staff.
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READING, Pa. - People are apparently hoping lightning will strike twice after a winning lottery ticket was sold at a convenience store in Reading.
Someone bought a Cash 5 ticket worth $1.3 million at the Citgo in the 200 block of Buttonwood Street, Pennsylvania Lottery officials announced Tuesday.
The ticket correctly matched all five numbers in Friday night's drawing.
The winner has not yet come forward, but the store said it has been selling more tickets as word about the winning ticket gets out.
"I think its great. Pennsylvania, in general, hasn't really had that many major jackpots, so I think it's great that our store to be the first one around this area to have a jackpot winner," said Gagandeep Singh, the store owner's nephew.
The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Allentown, PA 18102


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MillerCoors Breaking ABInBev’s Super Bowl Stranglehold With Apple Ale AdsDecember 17, 2012
While the Super Bowl has long been associated with the Budweiser portfolio (the game’s biggest advertiser), MillerCoors is heralding the arrival of a new brand with its own Super Bowl ad program. Although Anheuser-Busch InBev holds the exclusive beer-marketing rights to the Super Bowl’s telecast (airing February 3, 2013 on CBS), MillerCoors is using local spot buys in the Great Lakes and Southeast regions to run a 15-second ad for Redd’s Apple Ale, which it began test-marketing last summer. The ad is part of a comprehensive campaign developed by WPP-owned Cavalry that uses the tagline “Branch out” and features apple-related puns. The 5%-abv Redd’s has been positioned to compete against RTD rivals like Mike’s Hard Lemonade.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Whirlpool's wired refrigerators will get its digital photo frames.
iPhone unlocks use buffer overflow -- nearly guaranteed to be broken by next Apple firmware update
The NWZ-A810 series is expected to go on sale this month and comes in a variety of color and capacity combos.
Adobe will add support for the video compression standard H.264, which is used for high-definition video.
At a gathering of economists musing about the proposed DoubleClick deal, an outside attorney for the search giant attempts to take to task an economist hired by Redmond.
Deborah Foster was sued by the RIAA over illegal downloading that was apparently conducted by her adult daughter. Today, a judge ordered the RIAA to pay her nearly $70,000 to cover her attorneys' fees. This could be the beginning of the end of the RIAA's
iRiver officially teams up with Rhapsody to offer an optimized experience with the music service on the Clix.
Software maker says it's ready with a near-final "release candidate," with a final version due later this year.
Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division reveals that they will reach 1 million Zune MP3 player sales by the end of June.
A professionally trained clown is looking to get together with some colleagues near San Francisco


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From an odd couple to a dream team
Toyota, Tesla find a way to work together on an EV
Photo credit: TONY AVELAR/BLOOMBERG
LOS ANGELES -- When Akio Toyoda and Elon Musk shook hands during dinner at Musk's Bel Air, Calif., mansion in May 2010, there were big grins all around.
The two had just agreed that their companies would co-develop an electric vehicle ... but they had overlooked an important detail: Which company would be in charge of the project, Toyota Motor Corp. or tiny Tesla Motors?
When top execs make bold moves over dinner and drinks, critical matters can get ignored. As Toyoda's decision to build an electric version of the Toyota RAV4 cascaded down through Toyota's and Tesla's r&d and engineering ranks, a series of questions arose, some of which threatened to wreck the project.
Toyota built an electric version of the RAV4 on its own in the 1990s. But this would be a whole different level of complexity: unproven lithium ion battery chemistry new to Toyota, with lofty performance and stringent vehicle-crash specifications. And it would be done in partnership with a small automaker that had a vastly different operating style. Add to that a tough timetable: from idea to market in just 20 months.
Despite the hurdles, some of which boiled down to a simple matter of trust, Toyota and Tesla were able to take an electric car from concept to Job 1 on time. Tesla is producing the motor and battery pack at its Fremont, Calif., factory. Final assembly began this month at Toyota's Woodstock, Ontario, plant.
How did they do it?
"Our motto became 'Fast and Flexible,' which is totally different from typical Toyota," said Greg Bernas, the RAV4 EV's chief engineer.
"There were things we did on this vehicle that had I tried them on a Sienna or Venza, I would have been told, 'No way,'" Bernas said. "This was the most difficult program I've ever been a part of."
Who's the boss?
First they had to figure out which company was in charge. At the beginning, each assumed it was the other. Toyota engineers thought it must be Musk's company, because the CEO's tiny startup was bringing new lithium ion battery technology to Toyota's existing vehicle platform. Tesla, already shy of resources in its scramble to bring its Model S sedan to market, assumed that its batteries would be plug-and-play into the vehicle, and that Toyota would handle the integration and management of the system.
"We were moving at warp speed," said Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla Motors' vice president of business development. "There was a bit of two quite different worlds meeting."
Much of Toyota's electrical engineering expertise resided in Japan and could be called upon during development. But speed was essential, so Akio Toyoda, Toyota president, decided all project management would be handled in the United States. He knew the traditional Japanese r&d setup was too hidebound to work well with Tesla.
Toyoda went to Shigeki Terashi, then head of Toyota's U.S. engineering operations, and told him the project was his. Terashi quickly named Bernas chief engineer of the project. Bernas, a 20-year Toyota veteran with a taste for chewing tobacco and outdoor sports, was chief engineer of the Venza crossover developed in the United States.
So Toyota was in charge, but a new series of questions emerged.
If Toyota was dictating content and setting specifications, what was Tesla's role? Was it a partner or a supplier? How much collaboration was to be expected if, basically, Toyota was buying a commodity?
"There was some suspicion at Tesla that we were going to walk away with their battery technology and say, 'We don't need you anymore,'" Bernas said. "But Toyota has its own proprietary processes that have taken decades to build and that we didn't want to disclose."
Tesla's O'Connell said: "We always thought of ourselves as a co-equal partner. In the Toyota context, there is a very precise strategy for supplier management. It was challenging for folks steeped in that tradition to look at tiny little Tesla as a co-equal partner.
"The question was how to keep our intellectual property segregated from one another so we could protect our assets while creating as much opportunity for improvement in final product as possible," O'Connell said.
To settle the intellectual property issue, Toyota agreed to provide a spec book that listed the specifications of parts the RAV4 EV required. Tesla would build to those specs.
But even that system posed problems. Some of Toyota's specifications meant major changes to Tesla components -- hardly plug and play. Tesla didn't have the engineering resources to make those changes and achieve Toyota quality levels, especially while cramming to get its own Model S sedan to market.
Tesla informed Toyota that it would build parts as best it could, but those parts might not be to Toyota specs. Toyota engineers said that was unacceptable. They wouldn't buy the parts if those parts didn't measure up.
After some negotiations, the two sides came up with an idea: so-called no-notebook meetings. The two r&d teams would perform design-for-failure testing and then analyze problem parts to determine the cause of the failure. Toyota shared its engineering resources and Tesla was able to hit the specs. But to protect intellectual property, no handwritten or laptop notes could be taken during the sessions.
There also was the problem of developing the EV based on an old platform. In fact, a redesigned RAV4 with a new platform was scheduled to be launched at about the same time the EV would arrive.
It would not be possible to develop an EV concurrently with the new RAV4 platform. And the parties could not wait for the new model to be completed before starting r&d and still meet Toyoda's tight deadline, Bernas said. The old platform would have to do.
Settling the details
Once the big-picture issues were solved, there were details to consider. One involved the vehicle's range.
Some engineers wanted longer range, but that would mean a larger battery and longer charging times, said Hidetoshi Kusumi, Toyota executive powertrain engineer.
"For 150 miles of real-world range, the expectation for a [240-volt] charging time was 10 hours. It would have required a new charging system, and that would have added time, and we didn't have that," Kusumi said.
Both sides agreed that a real-world range of 100 miles would be sufficient.
Toyota and Tesla also had different ideas on precisely how the vehicle should function, said Sheldon Brown, Toyota's executive program manager for the RAV4 EV.
For instance, if a driver were climbing a steep grade on a hot day, what would take precedence? Keeping the battery pack chilled (and reducing the flow of cool air to the cabin), or keeping the passengers cool (and reducing the battery's power output)?
Both sides agreed to put a priority on keeping the cabin cool until there was an actual battery emergency, Brown said. But those settings brought yet another question: How should the car warn the driver about the compromises being made?
"It was the difference between gradually breaking bad news or waiting until something bad is going to happen," Brown said.
Contrast in style
Toyota engineers often were taken aback by Tesla's on-the-fly development process.
"Tesla did zero component testing. They just test the whole vehicle at once and troubleshoot it," Bernas said.
But sometimes Tesla's ready-fire-aim methodology came to the rescue.
During cold-weather testing in Alaska, the prototype vehicle vibrated strangely when running on the slick roads. Toyota engineers were baffled, but Tesla software engineers were able to reprogram the traction control algorithms seven times in one afternoon until the vibration was eliminated, Bernas said.
As project leader, Toyota occasionally overruled Tesla. One clash came over the feel of regenerative braking while the car was coasting with the driver's foot on neither the accelerator nor the brake pedal. Tesla wanted a sudden slow-down response, which would return more energy to the battery, while Toyota wanted a less abrupt response.
Because Toyota owners are accustomed to the Prius' gentle gliding when the driver's foot leaves the accelerator, Toyota engineers felt it would be a mistake to contradict the user's expectation of how a green Toyota vehicle should feel.
Still, Toyota did some testing of a grabbier regenerative braking profile last year at an environmental conference in Torrey Pines, Calif. Drivers were split 50-50 on the prototype's response, but back-seat occupants hated the neck-snapping feel of the stiffer regenerative setting, Brown said. Toyota had the data it needed to make its case.
At one point, more than 100 Toyota engineers were involved in the project in some capacity, with about 30 working on it full-time. Tesla declined to say how many were dedicated to the project.
Would Toyota and Tesla work together again?
O'Connell said he liked the esprit de corps the joint venture created. He also admitted that Tesla learned many mass-production tactics from its partner -- a whole new world for a company whose manufacturing experience had consisted of several hundred Roadsters hand-built with Lotus Cars.
The lessons learned with RAV4 EV production engineering have filtered down to Tesla's far more commercially critical Model S, O'Connell said. Production started in June.
Bernas said the teams were able to collaborate and compromise on many solutions. That reflected Akio Toyoda's vision, avoiding the use of a traditional Japanese chief engineer -- with much stricter processes -- who might have drawn a line in the sand on a critical detail.
"This may become the model for low-volume future Toyota products," Bernas said. Only half-joking, he added: "With the methodical Japanese method, this vehicle would never have come out."
You can reach Mark Rechtin at firstname.lastname@example.org. -- Follow Mark on


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A tiny porcelain cup dating back to the Ming Dynasty has fetched more than $40 million at an auction in Hong Kong, setting a new record for Chinese porcelain.
The "chicken cup" - so-called because it is decorated with a rooster and hen tending to their chicks - is 500 years old and was bought by a Shanghai collector.
Sotheby's deputy chairman for Asia Nicholas Chow said only 17 such cups existed, and it would be the only one in China.
"It has gone to an extraordinarily good home in Shanghai," Mr Chow said.
"It will be, when it returns, the only genuine chicken cup in the whole of China."
Buyer Liu Yiqian has an estimated fortune of $US900 million and is the 200th richest person in China, the BBC reports.
The cup is likely to be displayed in Liu's Long Museum in Shanghai, which he and his wife opened in 2012.


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Possible end to Coca-Cola being sold in Intermarché and Netto? - According to information from LSA, the “Libre Service Actualités” which is a weekly professional magazine devoted to current affairs and the analysis of trends in commerce, mass distribution and consumption in France, the Coca-Cola firm has decided to suspend the sale of its products sold in Intermarché and Netto stores in France.
The new measure would allegedly concern its entire range: Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Fuzetea, Honest, Tropico, Caprisun and Monster. According to reports the American drinks giant is seeking to put pressure on these outlets following recent decisions by the president of Intermarché to promote “healthier products” at the request of its customers.
The French government has said that a reactor at the oldest working nuclear power station in France is to stop operating this Saturday. The move comes... Read More


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Wymo Via, an independent automotive freight forwarding company, is expanding its partnership with logistics company JB Hunt Transport from pilot to long-term strategic partnership.
As part of the deal, Wymo Via will become the first launching partner of the fully automated, driverless freight lines expected to arrive in the next few years.
Waimo and JB Hunt launched a “test run” in 2021 on I-45 between Houston and Fort Worth, Texas, one of the country’s busiest commercial corridors. Wymo Daimler trucks powered by Wyomo driver 86 862,179 at the end of the pilot, with no malfunction or speed, 100% on-time delivery and 100% off-load According to the company. Each race is completed by boarding a licensed truck driver and software technician to oversee the operation.
Craig Harper, JB Hunt’s Chief Sustainability and Chief Executive Officer, said: Details will be further investigated. “
A.D. In 2022 and beyond, the companies plan to launch several more pilots on the same corridor in Texas to prepare for driverless autonomy.
In addition to strengthening the company’s driver as a service model, Waimo did not share with the next pilot what special goals he had achieved with JB Hunt. Waymo driver. Those trucks are purchased directly from partners or carriers such as JB Hunt and Ryder.
“This is a long-term vision,” Wymo spokesman Julian McGoldrick told Tech Crunch. “As we grow into that vision, we have test trucks for our trucks, and our pilots with those and independent specialists must have this practical experience when we are fully independent. We have all the basics for Jebby Hunt and our customers to transport cargo without any driver.
During the Wimo-JB Hunt partnership, the two companies plan to use joint operations and market research with their own drivers to learn more about their joint ventures and explore technology integration with JB Hunt 360. Digital Load Matching Platform.
Of course, Weimo is not just a self-driving car in Texas or elsewhere. Tusmole, one of Waimo Via’s competitors, recently completed its first driverless, self-paced truck, putting the technology in a more advanced phase. Aurora and Codiac Robotics are also testing trucks in Texas.
That Waimo does not mind – the spelling-based strategy is more closely linked to its partners than to its own set of boxes, says McGoldrick.
”‘ “We are entering into this multi-year agreement with a multi-stakeholder body that covers everything and shows that we are deep with our partners, rather than just for the pilot. We are working with our partners on our fully automated launch to make it as successful as possible when we are ready.
Sumber artikel : https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/14/j-b-hunt-will-be-waymos-first-self-driving-freight-customer/
Apabila ada yang ditanyakan, silahkan hubungi kami melalui kontak di bawah ini.


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It's a simple problem that's plagued moviegoers for decades: long lines. And while modern tech will let you buy your tickets online, that luxury does not extend to the concession stand — at least not yet.
According to the New York Times, Regal Entertainment and AMC Theaters, the two largest multiplex chains in America, are testing technology that allows moviegoers to preorder and prepay for food on their smartphones.
"When you get to the store, no need to wait in line. Just come pick up your order," a Starbucks commercial said.
Many companies outside the movie industry have had success with similar tech. Starbucks saw profits jump in the first eight months it offered mobile order and pay.
Right now, the concept is being tested at four theaters in Kansas City, Missouri, but according to The New York Times, AMC wants the service nationwide "as fast as we absolutely can."
"Atom makes movies easy," said a promotion for Atom Tickets.
Regal is working with California startup Atom Tickets to expand its mobile order service, but so far, it's only in five Knoxville, Tennessee, theaters.
Either way, both theater chains could use a boost in concession sales. While theaters have to give nearly 50 percent of their ticket sales to the studios, they keep more than 85 percent of what they make at the concession counter. I guess that's why a large popcorn and a Coke cost a whole paycheck.
This video includes images from Getty Images and jayneandd / CC BY 2.0.


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When it comes to reporting, compliance and regulation, the global financial crisis of 2008 was a game-changer. Over the last decade, you may have become aware of an evolution in Financial Technology (FinTech) that has resulted in tech for financial regulation or Regulatory Technology (RegTech).
In a December 6, 2018, MarketsandMarkets report, it was estimated that the RegTech market today could expand to $12.3 billion by 2023. By innovating common regulatory problems, RegTech makes use of developments like Blockchain technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Big Data.
However, as evolution continues in the solutions found within RegTech, the regulatory landscape may have to surmount many obstacles in order to keep pace with the ensuing disruption.
What might the future hold and how could RegTech impact your overall digital strategy?
Regulations are skyrocketing
A massive deployment of new regulation has emerged as a result of the global financial crisis, with over 50,000 new regulations since the catastrophe. To put things into perspective, that's one new regulatory alert every seven minutes!
This development has taken a toll on the financial service industry, with banks alone spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually.


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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (March 31, 2003)—Monro Muffler Brake Inc. expects its earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 29 to exceed previously issued estimates by about 2 percent, based largely on higher-than-expected sales gains.
Monro Muffler, which has expanded its tire-related business in the past 18 months by acquiring Kimmel Automotive in Maryland and Virginia and Frasier Tire Inc.'s retail stores in South Carolina, said earnings should increase to $1.44-$1.46 per share, up from $1.41-$1.43 released earlier.
"Our better-than-anticipated results are being driven by an estimated 7-percent comparable store sales gain in the fourth quarter, resulting largely from continued increases in store traffic, scheduled maintenance services and tire sales,” said Robert G. Gross, president and CEO.
“This strong performance is a testament to our ongoing strategy of attracting customers into our stores with discount oil changes and encouraging repeat business by offering superior customer service and a compelling assortment of quality products and services,” he said in a prepared statement. “These efforts, along with our unique direct-to-consumer marketing strategy and store execution, have proved extremely effective."
The company plans to release its fiscal 2003 results during the week of May 19.
Monro Muffler Brake operates a chain of 560 stores in 18 states providing automotive undercar repair and tire services in the U.S., operating under the brand names of Monro Muffler Brake and Service, Speedy Auto Service by Monro, Kimmel Tires - Auto Service and Tread Quarters Discount Tires.


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The wine and craft beverage industry is a big deal in the Finger Lakes.
There are currently 13 wine trails across the State that support New York’s vital agricultural, craft beverage and tourism industries. To enhance the current wine trail system, the State Department of Transportation has invested $214.8 million in significant upgrades to the region’s roadways, bridges and culverts, improving access to wineries throughout the State.
To further support the wine trail system and tourism across New York, Governor Cuomo signed legislation on August 21 designating the Upper Hudson Wine Trail across the Capital Region.
“In virtually every corner of the state, New York’s world-class wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries are key drivers of tourism, job creation and economic development,” Governor Cuomo said. “Investing in local infrastructure enhances access to these businesses, ensuring their momentum and growth continues strong. I encourage New Yorkers from near and far to get out and experience the state’s beverage trails this fall to sample products from these innovative local businesses.”
There are 182 wineries participating in New York’s wine trails, which are part of a robust system of more than 20 craft beverage and cuisine trails located in nearly every region of the State. Together, these trails drive tourism and strengthen the booming craft beverage and food industry. The Empire State’s wine industry alone generates more than $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually, including $408 million in State and local taxes. New York produces nearly 200 million bottles of wine each year, making it the third largest wine producing state in the country. An estimated 5.3 million people participate in wine-related tourism opportunities each year across New York.
To support the continued success of wineries and wine trails in New York, the State Department of Transportation has invested $214.8 million to support 103 projects – including highway resurfacing, bridge rehabilitations and replacements, and culvert repairs and replacements – that will ensure continued access to wineries along New York’s wine trails. To see a list of state projects undertaken to enhance New York State’s wine trails, click here.
New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Cathy Calhoun said, “I was born and raised in the heart of New York’s wine country and am proud of the critical role that our Department plays in promoting the growth of our craft beverage industry. The Department of Transportation has invested tens of millions of dollars to support our wine trails across the state, in the process enhancing tourism and strengthening economic development.”
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Since Governor Cuomo took office, we have seen a tremendous spike in craft beverage manufacturing in New York State, and a greater demand for local agricultural products as a result. Our exceptional beverage trail system is key to highlighting these businesses and their unique, high-quality products. Once visitors get a taste, they keep coming back for more.”
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “New York State’s wine and craft beverage industries have experienced tremendous growth during Governor Cuomo’s administration. The beverage trails run throughout the state and I encourage everyone to plan a trip this fall to experience the foliage and enjoy our world-class food and beverages.”
New York State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley said, “New York State is quickly becoming one of the most popular wine destinations in the country. Our exceptional beverage trails make it easy for New Yorkers and tourists alike to experience all of the top-notch wines the Empire state has to offer. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, investments like these have significantly bolstered the tourism industry and the state’s economy overall.”
New York Wine and Grape Foundation Executive Director Samuel Filler said, “As the third largest wine producing state in the country, New York’s wineries attract millions of visitors every year. The fall harvest is the perfect time to explore the State’s wine trails to discover the diversity of New York’s wine offerings and learn how these award-winning varieties are made. The New York Wine and Grape Foundation thanks the State for its support of New York’s wine industry—through both its financial and technical assistance to boost our local businesses—and is proud to contribute more than $250,000 in matching marketing funds to the wine trails annually.”
Seneca Lake Wine Trail Executive Director Paul Thomas said, “Wine trails have for over 30 years proven to be a remarkably effective way to draw more visitors to our region, and tasting rooms. The elected and appointed officials of NYS have consistently provided both strong support of our industry through a variety of programs managed by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and ILoveNY, and by persistently evolving the State Liquor Authority’s regulations to help reduce resource draining policies. Under Governor Cuomo’s visionary administration, support for the state’s entire craft beverage industry, including wine, have enabled amazing growth across all sectors, dramatically increasing the amount of product sold throughout the state, as well as the number of good paying jobs created by these industries.”
Dave Peterson, Cayuga Lake Wine Trail President and Co-owner of Swedish Hill and Goose Watch Wineries, said, “The Cayuga Wine Trail, through its collective marketing efforts, has helped bring us many new customers over the years. When we started our winery 31 years ago, we produced only 1,200 cases of wine. Today, our production exceeds 50,000 cases annually. Visitors to the winery also enhance our sales in liquor stores and restaurants, as customers seek out our wines closer to their homes. Without the State funding that the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail has received through the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and other channels, the marketing effort by the Trail would have been greatly diminished. The investment from the State has been returned many times over as the growth of the wineries has also fueled many other related industries including tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.”
Senator Joseph Robach said, “Some of the world’s very best wine and craft beverages call New York and the Finger Lakes region home. I have been proud to work alongside the Governor to ensure that New York State is investing in our roads, bridges and infrastructure to make it easier and safer for people to visit all the great amenities that New York has to offer.”
Senator Patty Ritchie Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee said, “From the Finger Lakes to the North Country, the Hudson Valley to Long Island, New York’s wine trails are helping to introduce growing numbers of enthusiasts to world-class wines produced by hardworking farmers and wine makers. Fall is the perfect time to experience the unique variety and taste of New York wine and I am pleased to join with the governor in urging New Yorkers to go out and discover their next favorite.”
Senator Rich Funke said, “New York’s wineries are some of the finest in the country. The investments made by the Department of Transportation to improve roadways and make New York’s craft beverage market more accessible will encourage tourism and bolster our small businesses across the state. Infrastructure enhancements are vital to supporting small businesses like the wine and craft beverage industries. Fall is a great time to enjoy New York’s wine, cider and craft beer.”
Assemblymember Bill Magee, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee said, “The wine and craft beverage trails across New York are attractions that blend agriculture, one of our biggest industries, with tourism, one of our most promising assets, to promote the best of upstate including our unique shops, restaurants, farms, and hospitality. I heartily encourage and support the development and improvement of the wine and craft beverage and food trails.”
Assemblymember Carrie Woerner said, “The vineyards in the Upper Hudson Wine Trail are great places to visit in the Fall. I thank Governor Cuomo for his support of the wine industry in our region, and across the state.”
Under the Governor’s leadership, there has been a 228 percent increase in the number of licensed craft beverage producers in New York, including a 72 percent increase in the number of farm wineries. The State has implemented significant policy changes to streamline and simplify regulations for beverage manufacturers, modernized the Alcohol and Beverage Control Laws, introduced new licenses, and leveraged opportunities to promote this growing sector of the economy. There are now nearly 1,000 licensed breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries across New York, compared to just 342 six years ago.
The Governor’s Taste NY initiative has also been key to growing the Empire State’s craft beverage industry through strategic promotional efforts at large public events and retail locations. New York products sold under Taste NY branding are available in more than 60 locations throughout the State, including a store in Grand Central Terminal dedicated exclusively to New York wines and craft beverages.
Launched by the Governor in 2013 to promote New York’s food and beverage industries, Taste NY has seen steady growth. Last year, more than $13 million in New York products were sold at Taste NY stores, concessions, and events. For more information about Taste NY, please visit www.taste.ny.gov. Connect with Taste NY through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
For more information about New York wineries, visit https://www.newyorkwines.org/.


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FleetCor Technologies has acquired payments processing company Comdata from its parent company Ceridian for $3.45 billion in a bid to expand their payments business.
The move represents a bid by FleetCor, which provides fuel cards and workforce payment products to commercial auto fleets, oil companies and petroleum marketers, to expand its North American business and move into the virtual payments market, significantly increasing FleetCor’s scale and earnings, as well as diversifying its mix of businesses.
FleetCor plance to finance the deal with approximately $2.4 billion in cash 7.3 million shares of FleetCor common stock.
Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Comdata commented:
“This combination marks an exciting new chapter for Comdata. FleetCor has a history of driving synergistic growth for acquired companies and I’m confident Comdata’s businesses can continue to flourish following this transaction for the benefit of all of our stakeholders and, most importantly, the customers we serve. Together, Comdata and FleetCor will create a broader, highly complementary payments business with many strong growth opportunities in the near and long term.”
There’s more signs of consolidation in the crowded European payments space with news that Stockholm-based iZettle is buying a company called intelligentpos.
MasterCard has bought Vocalink for £700m ($920m) in a deal that has been rumoured for months.
Oh, what we wouldn't do to know the future! Like Biff and the Almanac in Back to the Future, all we need is a guide. Luckily the team over at Pivotl is on hand to give us one for the future of fintech.
In a sign of the increasing importance of optimising the value of online and offline customer interactions and understanding multichannel customer analytics, UK venture builder Blenheim Chalcot is snapping up customer journey analytics firm iJento.


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Vietnamese MOH Establishes New Medical Device Advisory Council
Published on: November 20, 2020
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Health, awarded the Decision to establish an Advisory Council to license the circulation of medical equipment. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Cuong, former Deputy Minister of Health, will become the President and Chairman of the Association.
Council is to Advise on New License Issuance and Renewals
On November 18, 2020, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MOH) released Decision No. 4353 / QD-BYT officially establishing an Advisory Council to oversee the efficient and transparent implementation of new medical device rules. The council will be led by Dr. Le Quant Cuong, the former Deputy Minister of Health, and is tasked with overseeing new registrations of higher risk devices and the extension of existing medical equipment registrations. The council will have 17 members and is scheduled to begin work in May 2021.
The formation of the Council is seen as an important step to a smooth implementation of the new medical device regulations in Vietnam which are scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2022. Depending on the Council’s progress, there is potential that the MOH could release new guidance in Q2 of 2021 and begin issuing Class B, C, and D product licenses as early as Q3 or Q4 of 2021.
Current Requirements in Vietnam
Currently, the Vietnamese regulations are in transition from Circular 30 to Decree 36 with a full transition completed in 2022. Currently, only Class A products and specific Class B, C, and D, as designated in Circular 30, are required to have a Market Authorization license (MAH) to clear customs. Products not found on the Circular listing may now clear Customs and sold in Vietnam without an Import License until December 31, 2021. However, medical devices should have their products classification confirmed by a local, qualified classification agent to ensure expeditious customs clearance. From January 1, 2022, these devices will also require a Market Authorization License (under the new Rules). Medical devices manufacturers should work with their local agents to determine the specific regulatory requirements for their portfolio now and after January 1, 2022.
Grow With Us
Asia Actual specializes in helping medical device manufacturers grow their sales in Asia with experienced, bi-lingual commercial and regulatory experts on the ground in each market. Contact Asia Actual today with questions or support requests.


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Texas manufacturing expanded at a slightly faster pace in September, according to a survey released today by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
PRODUCTION: The production index — a key measure of manufacturing conditions — rose from 7.3 in August to 11.5 in September.
OTHER: Other measures of factory activity indicated continued growth. The capacity utilization index rose, but indexes for new orders and shipments were flat; all three remained positive. The wages and benefits index remained positive, but declined to its lowest level since early 2011.
(Update at 10:45 a.m.) ECONOMIST: “The report was quite positive this month, with the headline index rose again and other indexes were positive and continue to suggest growth,” said Emily Kerr, an associate economist for the Dallas Fed. “Price pressures picked up, particularly in selling prices and that index has been trending up noticeably in May.”
COMMENTS: Several manufacturers told the Dallas Fed they’re dealing with raw materials issues. “Some of our raw material prices have fallen to a level we have not seen in several years,” one chemical manufacturer said. But a fabricated metal manufacturer said it’s seeing strong competition from Korea, “where final pricing is below our cost for the raw material.” A primary metal manufacturer said its production was down in September due to less material available.
GENERAL BUSINESS: Perceptions of broader business conditions improved, with the general business activity index up to its highest reading since February 2012. The expectations regarding future business conditions remained optimistic, especially for employment. The indexes of future general business activity and company outlook were mixed, but remained positive.


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By now, most of us have seen privacy notifications from popular web sites and services. These pop-ups appeared around the time that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect, and they are intended to keep the service providers compliant with the rules of GDPR. The regulation requires that companies using your data are transparent about what they do with it and get your consent for each of these uses.
Facebook, Google and Microsoft are three tech companies that have been showing their users these pop-ups to ensure that they’re on the right side of European law. Now, privacy advocates have analysed these pop-ups and have reason to believe that the tech trio are playing subtle psychological tricks on users. They worry that these tech giants are guilty of using ‘dark patterns’ – design and language techniques that it more likely that users will give up their privacy.
In a report called Deceived By Design, the Norwegian Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet) calls out Facebook and Google for presenting their GDPR privacy options in manipulative ways that encourage users to give up their privacy. Microsoft is also guilty to a degree, although performs better than the other two, the report said. Forbrukerrådet also made an accompanying video:
Tech companies use so-called dark patterns to do everything from making it difficult to close your account through to tricking you into clicking online ads (for examples, check out darkpatterns.org‘s Hall of Shame).
In the case of GDPR privacy notifications, Facebook and Google used a combination of aggressive language and inappropriate default selections to keep users feeding them personal data, the report alleges.
A collection of privacy advocacy groups joined Forbrukerrådet in writing to the Chair of the European Data Protection Board, the EU body in charge of the application of GDPR, to bring the report to its attention. Privacy International, BEUC (an umbrella group of 43 European consumer organizations), ANEC, a group promoting European consumer rights in standardization, and Consumers International are all worried that tech companies are making intentional design choices to make users feel in control of their privacy while using psychological tricks to do the opposite. From the report:
When dark patterns are employed, agency is taken away from users by nudging them toward making certain choices. In our opinion, this means that the idea of giving consumers better control of their personal data is circumvented.
The report focuses on one of the key principles of GDPR, known as data protection by design and default. This means that a service is configured to protect privacy and transparency. It makes this protection the default option rather than something that the user must work to enable. Their privacy must be protected even if they don’t opt out of data collection options. As an example, the report states that the most privacy-friendly option boxes should be those that are ticked by default when a user is choosing their privacy settings.
Subverting data protection by default
Facebook’s GDPR pop-up failed the data protection by default test, according to the report. It forced users to select a data management settings option to turn off ads based on data from third parties, whereas simply hitting ‘accept and continue’ automatically turned that advertising delivery method on.
Facebook was equally flawed in its choices around facial recognition, which it has recently introduced in Europe after a six-year hiatus due to privacy concerns. It turns on this technology by default unless users actively turn it off, making them go through four more clicks than those that just leave it as-is.
The report had specific comments about this practice of making users jump through hoops to select the most privacy-friendly option:
If the aim is to lead users in a certain direction, making the process toward the alternatives a long and arduous process can be an effective dark pattern.
Google fared slightly better here. While it forced users to access a privacy dashboard to manage their ad personalization settings, it turned off options to store location, history, device information and voice activity by default, the report said.
The investigators also criticized Facebook for wording that strongly nudged users in a certain direction. If they selected ‘Manage Data Settings’ rather than simply leaving facial recognition on, Facebook’s messaging about the positive aspects of the technology – and the negative implications of turning it off – became more aggressive.
“If you keep face recognition turned off, we won’t be able to use this technology if a stranger uses your photo to impersonate you,” its GDPR pop-up messaging said. “If someone uses a screen reader, they won’t be told when you’re in a photo unless you’re tagged,” it goes on.
The report argues that these messages imply that turning the technology off is somehow unethical. The message also contains no information on how else Facebook would use facial recognition technology.
We would have liked to see Apple included, as the company has long differentiated itself on privacy, pointing out that it sells devices, not users’ data.
If nothing else, this report shows that reading and thinking about privacy options is important. Paying attention to these GDPR notifications and taking time to think about what they’re asking is worthwhile, even if it means taking a few minutes before accessing your favourite service. If you already shrugged and clicked ‘accept and continue’, there’s still an option to go in and change your privacy settings later. Just watch for those dark patterns: forewarned is forearmed.


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Couple to reopen auto parts store
By Elizabeth Wilkerson -- Daily Staff Writer
STRASBURG -- A local couple is nearly ready to restart the motor of a former auto parts store on East King Street.
"We've got a lot to get done to get in Monday," Samantha Wymer said over the whirring of a power tool at Strasburg Auto Parts on Wednesday.
Wymer and her husband, Chuck, will own and operate the new store, which will feature Napa parts. It is set to open for business Monday morning. Hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Chuck Wymer has been in the auto repair business for 14 years. He rented space in Strasburg and Toms Brook before Wymer's Auto Repair's current location, at 27362 Old Valley Pike in Toms Brook, opened in June 2006.
"He's always wanted to have a parts store," Mrs. Wymer said. "So, when the opportunity became available, we kind of jumped on it."
The pair first approached NAPA in August about opening a store, Wymer said, and they settled on its location, at 1101 E. King St., in January. The building, which is owned by Byron Brill, formerly housed a NAPA Auto Parts store, she said, but that business closed in December 2007.
"[Brill] wanted a parts store back in this place," Wymer said. "He just felt that that's what this building is for."
Chuck Wymer, who, along with his wife, graduated from Strasburg High School, said many of his customers are from Strasburg. People have been very positive about the store's opening, she said.
"There's definitely a need for it here in Strasburg," she said, and people have been stopping by to ask when the auto parts store will open. "They need parts now."
Getting the store ready for its Monday opening has involved painting, repairing the roof, refurbishing the storefront and "lots of cleaning," Chuck Wymer said, as well as restocking the shelves. Crews also removed a wall, Wymer said, which "really did let some light in" and made the retail space look bigger.
There was still some inventory in the building when they began working in it, she said, but NAPA had them send most of it back. Chuck Wymer said they donated thousands of pounds of cardboard and paper that were in the building to a local school.
Along with a wide variety of auto parts, he said, the shop will make and sell hydraulic hoses, and will carry some small lawn and garden and heavy truck parts.
"But, we can pretty much get everything and anything as we find out what the need is, too," he said.
Chuck Wymer said the store's basic inventory is made up of NAPA's best-selling parts. The store's computers are set up to reorder parts when they are sold, he said, but they also keep track of missed sales, or when customers request parts that are not kept in stock. If a sale is missed on a specific part twice in six months, "the computer gives you an option to stock it," he said.
The economy is the couple's main concern, she said, though her husband added that it will "turn in time." Business at the Toms Brook shop has been up and down in recent months, he said.
"More people are trying to do their own work," Wymer said. "We've managed to hold on to a pretty strong business. ... We're definitely blessed, that's for sure.
"We hope it stays that way."
Contact Elizabeth Wilkerson at email@example.com
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A handful of traditional shoemakers in Northamptonshire are more than mere survivors in an industry crisis, writes David Nicholls.
BY David Nicholls | 24 March 2012
Photo: mishka henner and liz lock
There is something particular about the way British shoes are made,' the shoe designer Tim Little explains. 'When you buy Italian shoes and take them out of the box they look the best they ever will. British shoes will get better with age. It seems aligned to the British personality: they are simple, honest and not flash.'
When Little started making shoes in 1997 he sought the expertise of Northamptonshire craftsmen. The area has been the heart of British shoe-making since the 15th century, and over the years has been a source of these 'simple, honest' shoes for everyone from the country's troops to its Royal family. But what Little found was an industry beleaguered by a national decline in manufacturing. According to the British Footwear Association, in the 20 years preceding Little's arrival in Northampton, employment in footwear manufacturing had dropped by nearly 60 per cent.
One of the companies that Little worked with was Grenson, founded in 1886 by William Green, and considered one of the true 'establishment' shoe brands. Still, 'it was tired, had lost its way and had terrible designs,' Little recalls. Having worked in advertising, Little brought a flare for branding and a more fashionable eye to the makers of traditional country brogues. He became Grenson's creative director in 2004, just as the trend for 'heritage' brands began to take root in men's fashion.
Gibson in nubuck, £445, Grenson ( grenson.co.uk )
Six years later Little bought the company from the entrepreneur Christian Purslow (the former managing director of Liverpool FC).
Today Grenson is among a small handful of Northamptonshire-based shoemakers who are more than mere survivors of an industry in crisis. In many cases they are success stories, having consolidated their positions as makers of some of the finest (predominantly men's) shoes in the world. The revival of authentic British-made brogues has played a significant role in keeping the factories full. Venerable names including Tricker's, Church's and Crockett & Jones have carved out a niche for themselves at the top end of the international shoe market. 'We are all stronger than 10 years ago,' Little says. 'The best factories and brands have survived.'
Buckden Derby, £320, Church's ( mrporter.com )
Grenson produces three ranges, two of them made from start to finish in its Northampton factory, where it employs 50 people. Shoes start at £250 and go up to £440 for its GO range. Its lower-price G2 range is produced in India (from £175) and accounts for about two thirds of company sales. As well as making its own brand shoes, Grenson has collaborated with companies such as Barbour, Albam and Rag & Bone.
Collaboration has also been key to the renewed success of the 130-year-old company NPS Shoes, which makes boots for the fire brigade, and at one point made Dr Martens. For the past three years it has worked with the online retailer Asos. 'The men who buy these shoes know what they are looking for,' Oliver Tezcan, Asos's buying manager for shoes, explains. 'They appreciate expensive details such as a Goodyear welt [a high-end construction method].' Sales have increased 500 per cent since the line was launched three years ago. Because of the volume of orders, Asos can sell the shoes for about £150. This collaboration, and another with the British youth clothing brand Jack Wills, have contributed to NPS's 20 per cent increase in output despite the global economic downturn. Its owner, Ivor Tilley, who bought the former cooperative in 2006, has been able to create 10 new jobs in this time. Ironically, it's not lack of demand or the whims of fashion that are the biggest threat to the Northampton shoemakers.
Suede boot, £160, NPS Shoes for Asos ( asos.com )
'The real challenge is a shortage of skilled labour,' Tilley says. Young people aren't flocking to work in the factories. Little agrees: 'Two people retired last year and we lost 50 years' worth of experience.' But for now at least, the factories are full and their 'simple, honest' shoes are still making their way to the feet of those who appreciate their provenance.


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Sauvignon Blanc South Africa has announced the 20 finalists in the 2022 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 competition – and no less than thirteen of the final contenders are from the 2022 vintage.
This year’s top 20 wines hail from diverse wine regions, which once again confirms innovation and diversity in the style and origin of Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa. Many regions boast more than one finalist.
Meet the top 20 finalists (in alphabetical order):
1. Bon Courage The Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc 2022
2. Bonnievale The River Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2022
3. Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2021
4. De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2022
5. Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2022
6. Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc 2019
7. Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2021
8. Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2022
9. Groote Post Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc 2022
10. Iona Elgin Highlands Sauvignon Blanc 2022
11. Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2022
12. KWV Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2020
13. La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc 2021
14. Nitida Wild Child 2022
15. Paul Clüver Village Sauvignon Blanc 2022
16. Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2021
17. Strandveld Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc 2022
18. Zevenwacht 7EVEN Sauvignon Blanc 2022
19. Zevenwacht Sauvignon Blanc 2022
20. Zevenwacht Z Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2021
A panel of leading wine experts judged this year’s competition with Cape Wine Master Dr Winifred Bowman as convener. Along with Dr Bowman on the panel were wine judge and author Fiona McDonald, Johann Fourie, head winemaker of Benguela Cove, winemaker Morgan Steyn of De Grendel, Cape Wine Master René Groenewald, and protégé judge Mahalia Kotjane, assistant winemaker of Lievland.
The Top 10 will be announced on Thursday 13 October 2022 during the FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 Awards at FNB Portside as well as on the website www.sauvignonblanc.com and on social media.
Sauvignon Blanc SA promotes South African Sauvignon Blanc locally and internationally. A technical seminar will be held on Wednesday 30 November 2022 in collaboration with the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University. The Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, the biggest and most significant international competition dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc, will be held outside of Europe for the first time in its 14-year history, hosted by Sauvignon Blanc SA in Franschhoek from 13 to 17 March 2023.
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